


Another Season of Roses

by otish



Series: Reality TV AUs [1]
Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: 2jin Viseul and Hyewon if you squint, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, F/F, side chuusoul and yvesoul because why not, the bachelorette au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21839806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otish/pseuds/otish
Summary: Jung Jinsol is the new Bachelorette everyone's raving about, except the show's executive producer who happens to be her ex-girlfriend.
Relationships: Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Kim Jiwoo | Chuu, Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul & Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip, Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip
Series: Reality TV AUs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1609174
Comments: 31
Kudos: 352





	Another Season of Roses

Hyejoo rolled her eyes as Jinsol cupped her chin in her hand to film the iconic “look into the distance and pretend you’re reminiscing on your journey” segment. Jinsol was sure to add gliding her hand melancholy across the balcony for a pensive effect.

Trimming the clip, Hyejoo dropped it into the timeline before moving onto the next Hallmark shot: Jinsol in a one-seater theater watching the pilot episode with tears brimming her eyes.

How Hyejoo hasn’t burned down the studio yet was beyond her.

“Who do you think she’ll pick?” A tiny voice piped up next to her as she edited the narration selections. Gowon hoped no one would notice that she was adding her own background track to the current soundtrack.

“Team Sooyoung for the win,” Yeojin cheered. Gunshots and thuds of bodies falling told her coworkers that she wasn’t editing the required Sooyoung-Jinsol trip down memory lane montage.

“WHAT?! Jiwoo’s going to win for sure,” Yerim disagreed, decorating her montage - which happened to be the Jiwoo-Jinsol one - with as many dreamlike filters as possible, solidifying her bias for her favorite contestant this season.

Holed in a room for hours with occasional snack breaks, the motley crew of film school graduates formed a close knit family. What better way to bond than witnessing the trials and tribulations of scripted love biyearly in a travesty called _The Bachelorette._

“Who do you think Jinsol will pick, Chaewon?”

“She annoyed me at first, but I think Jiwoo’s got this in the bag.”

Yerim and Chaewon high-fived, chip dust flying off their fingers as their hands collided.

Then went back to work as if they weren’t taking bets on others’ love lives.

Editing was an eyesore. Not everything made the final cut. Whenever contestants got a little too close, they would erase the footage immediately. Well, Hyejoo did most of the erasing. Everyone else was too scandalized to touch the mouse whenever kisses lasted longer than a second started flying off.

Lucky for them, Jinsol was well-behaved. Her nerdy love for robotics and musical composition contrasted nicely with her love for modern dance and rap. Add in her selfless personality, bubbly laughter, and dadlike sense of humor and she was the perfect household name. Since the network’s recent switch to a more diverse representation, they had to choose their stars wisely. Jinsol was perfect. Ratings had never been higher and the crew had never felt so relaxed.

“Hyejoo thinks Sooyoung will win.”

“I thought you hated her?”

“She’s alright I guess.”

Not to say there hasn’t been drama. Producers kept the occasional rough housers and flirts on cast to raise the stakes. Sana and Eunseo were quite the fan favorites as the series progressed. No doubt they’d both return in future seasons.

(Both contestants were sent home in a shocking double elimination after they broke out in a fight, complete with biting and hair dragging, resulting in two broken cameras and a trending tag.)

“Oooh, Hyejoo has a crush.”

“Gag me, Yeojin.”

“No thank you.”

The final two: CEO Ha Sooyoung and martial arts instructor Kim Jiwoo. By the end of the week, one of them would receive the final rose.

“Get back to work!” A booming voice bellowed from the doorway, seeing a gun spraying across someone’s monitor that looked nothing like the footage they had shot.

Once the show’s producer was out of hearing range, Hyejoo, Chaewon, and Yerim tackled the culprit who got them in trouble. Jungeun was already mad at them for bleeping random words in the series just to make it funny.

Jungeun wished she could be as removed from the show as them, making her way back to her office and dreading this finale more than any one she’s ever prepared for.

\---

_“What about Jung Jinsol?”_

_“Which one was she again?”_

_“Blonde. Woah, I’m sorry. Now she’s brunette. Oh hello there,” the male producer wolf whistled as he held up her headshot._

_Jinsol didn’t stand a chance last season, being the fourth one to leave in a predictable elimination. She was too cautious. Too selfless. Too boring. After she went home, no onslaught of hate comments followed._

_Jungeun looked at Jinsol’s photo as it circulated the casting table. She had just returned from a sabbatical for personal reasons and had missed the last season of planning._

_“Didn’t she say she was a lyricist too?”_

_“Didn’t we have one of those four seasons ago?”_

_“Yeah but Jinsol does children’s songs sometimes.”_

_“Oh that’s cute. The viewers will eat that right up.”_

_Jinsol’s open-mouthed smile differed from the stoic smirks of previous contestants littering the producers’ table. Watching the playback in Maldives - Jungeun wouldn’t admit it aloud - she threw her half empty whiskey bottle across the room when Jinsol wasn’t given a rose. She used the time to reflect. Why did she pick this season to take a vacation leave? Was she that afraid of meeting Jinsol again?_

_Before Jungeun got lost in her thoughts, Jinsol’s picture was ripped from her hands and handed to the next lifeless producer who thrived off of pain and sorrow._

_“She didn’t gather a large fanbase.”_

_“It’s the clothes. She showed no skin.”_

_“Okay, we’ll get her a personal stylist. Is Jessica available?”_

_Jungeun wished she was like her coworkers._

_She spent years trying to become that person. Last time she got too close to someone, it ended up with her spending years mercilessly drinking and dating her life away._

_It’s not like she fell in love with the crew or the cast. Unlike her two favorite camerawomen who needed to confess to each other already. The show was a source of income and a boost to her IMDB profile. But if Jinsol was chosen, Jungeun wasn’t sure if she could hold onto that promise. This might be good for her. A chance to finally move on._

_“All in favor of Jinsol to be the next Bachelorette, raise your hand.”_

_Every producer raised their hand. Including Jungeun._

\---

Jungeun banged her head against her doorframe when a large stack of paperwork on her desk greeted her.

She still had to meet with Jinsol tonight to discuss her choice for the final rose ceremony.

(She ignored the butterflies forming at the thought of spending more time with Jinsol.)

Putting her glasses on, Jungeun got to work. Pay stubs for the crew. HR complaints. Magazines asking for exclusives. Dancing with the Stars asking if Jinsol was willing sign with them. Insurance copays for Sana and Eunseo. 

Burying her face in her hands, Jungeun let out a muffled scream.

It wasn’t a stressful season in terms of work ethic. So far, the music producer had been compliant. She never ran away from set, never eliminated more than the required number, didn’t do anything that bordered illegal activity. Jungeun didn’t have to feed her any lines because Jinsol always performed genuinely.

(She always did.)

But now, the blank whiteboard on the side of her desk mocked her. That was where she usually kept her own predictions.

(Don’t tell the editing crew about that or they’d pull her into their betting pool as well.)

She was even good at guessing surprise picks, a guilty pleasure favorite of hers. It caused an uproar in the comments sections but it kept the interest high and her pockets full. Jungeun was at a loss because she had no clue as to who Jinsol was leaning towards.

Maybe she didn’t know Jinsol at all.

\---

_“Fuck, I need air,” Jinsol huffed as she found herself on the pool deck._

_A succession of quick footsteps hurried after her. She hoped it wasn’t another contestant schmoozing their way into her bed again. Underestimating their perseverance, this was the first time she was alone since they began shooting the pilot._

_“You did well in there,” the uninvited guest said, holding a bottle of water out for Jinsol._

_Taking it graciously, Jinsol took a healthy gulp, ignoring Jungeun’s hawk-like stare. Last season when Jinsol was just a contestant, Jungeun wasn’t on staff. Jinsol didn’t ask for an explanation as to why that was. Her brain didn’t have the capacity of remembering this information._

_Or re-getting to know someone in Jungeun’s special case. She still looked as radiant as ever, watching the pool lights bounce off Jungeun’s flawless skin._

_“You think someone’s fallen for me?” Jinsol asked, tearing the water bottle’s wrapper and folding delicate patterns with it._

_All actions noticed by Jungeun._

_Tonight was the first meeting of the contestants and while everything ran smoothly between the bachelorette and the love-starved mob, drama stirred among the contestants already. In a valiant move to prove their strength, a fight broke out._

_Jinsol didn’t even remember their names yet but whoever started the fight would be the first on the chopping block as The Bachelorette protocol stated._

_“What’s there not to like?” Jungeun smiled, wanting to reach out and take the empty bottle and maybe tuck a stray hair behind Jinsol’s ear but remembering her promise to herself. She was already scolding herself for running after her, thinking the lead character was making a break for it._

_(It happened seven seasons ago and the pilot was only aired. Shortest. Season. Ever.)_

_“You have to say that, you’re my producer,” Jinsol chuckled, thumping her head with the empty bottle._

_(‘And ex-girlfriend,’ Jungeun finished in head, feeling the weight of karma crash down on her as she pawned the love of her life to twelve eligible women waiting inside.)_

\---

“I don’t know. There’s something about her. When I see her, she makes my heart race but not in a way where I have to call 911.”

Hyunjin and Heejin chuckled behind the cameras as Jiwoo wrapped up what would be her last confessional for the season.

Jiwoo was the contestant one couldn’t help but love. Her infectious optimism outshone all the other contestants combined and audiences at home wanted to see more of her. Not only was she a delight on screen but she alone matched Jinsol in lovable playfulness.

Whereas most contestants found Jinsol’s love for miniature model-making odd - many of them rolling their eyes behind Jinsol’s back at the gundam-making contest she created for them - Jiwoo used her one-on-one date and took Jinsol to an anime expo, never shaming her for her guilty pleasure hobbies.

But Jiwoo was also a wild card.

The loudest at parties, pissing off Jungeun for the multiple noise complaints when they filmed off site. The one cannonballing from the rooftop into the swimming pool, pissing off Jungeun by splashing the cameras wet. Roundhouse kicking Sana and Eunseo when they were making Jinsol cry, pissing off Jungeun because of the mountainous property damage that followed.

She was a definite shoo-in for the finale.

“Jinsol deserves a lot of love and if she chooses me as the person who’d give it to her, I’d be happy to. Anyone would.”

\---

_“Hi I’m Chuu! Nice to meet Chuu!”_

_“Was that a pun?” Jinsol laughed, shaking Chuu’s hand. Not expecting the strong grip, Jinsol tried to hide her grimace. “And what do you do?”_

_Before she knew it, Jinsol was flipped onto her back, splayed onto the red carpet leading into the estate._

_“I’m a Tae Kwon Do instructor,” Jiwoo smiled down devilishly at Jinsol, helping her up on her feet. Then she tilted Jinsol’s head toward her, feeling for soft spots on the back of her head._

_“If you knew you were going to give me a concussion, why did you flip me?”_

_Jinsol snapped her mouth shut, hoping it wasn’t too crass. Jungeun told her to take it easy on them. First meetings were always the hardest and so far, she’s had ten of them. Each just as mortifying as the last. The previous suitor tried to impress her by making spring rolls._

_“I asked the producers if the carpet was padded before I planned my entrance,” Jiwoo smirked. “I also wanted an excuse to be this close to you.”_

_Jinsol gulped, never having met anyone so bold before. When Chuu first stepped out of the limo, she thought she was the girl-next-door type but now with her eyes narrowed and lips parted and kidneys pounding, she was completely wrong._

_And she wanted to know more._

_“Is your name actually Chuu?” The bachelorette stuttered._

_“If you catch me, maybe I’ll tell you.”_

_Hyunjin and Heejin struggled to follow the two inside, catching Jinsol pouncing on Jiwoo to the floor. It would be the first time viewers would hear Jinsol banshee-like laughter - Jiwoo being the first to provoke it - skewing the competition widely in Jiwoo’s favor._

\---

Jungeun signed off on another worker’s compensation request.

No surprisingly from Yeojin.

Her phone dinged signalling a social media update. Checking what the interns uploaded, she came across a still of Jinsol and Jiwoo getting intimate on martial arts’ mats.

Like all good producers, she could pinpoint what episode the clip was from. At the time, Jinsol was visiting all of the final four contestants’ hometown to get a better understanding of them. It was a little different than most seasons. Instead of it just being the two of them, Jinsol had all the contestants tag along, a test to see who was the most hospitable. Who didn’t just focus on her but others she found dear to her as well.

And who’d perform best in trying to get alone time with her with the other contestants around.

Jiwoo scored on both occasions. 

Jiwoo invited everyone to her workplace, teaching basic white belt moves. While the others busied themselves with the weaponry closet, Jiwoo tugged Jinsol upstairs for a more private lesson - a sentimental one on one talk about their childhood that boosted Jiwoo’s reputation by a million.

Jungeun slammed her phone down. It would thankfully be the last time she would have to see that image again.

\---

_“Oh shit. I’m sorry, I’m just out for some air.”_

_“You know there’s air inside right?” A voice husked out, the owner turning to meet a beet red Jinsol._

_Whereas Jiwoo was an open book, Sooyoung was an enigma. Every season had one eccentric wealthy person and Sooyoung fit the profile. Even now, dangling an apple - where she got it from, they don’t ask - over the balcony, the welcoming party ensued inside._

_“Why aren’t you inside with everybody else?” Jinsol asked, feeling rather thirsty again as Sooyoung pursed her pouty lips._

_Jungeun wouldn’t come out and hand her another water bottle. Jinsol was in the filming zone and her producer - that’s all she was to her - wouldn’t save her._

_“Why should I be? I’m not supposed to be getting to know them. I’m supposed to be getting to know you,” Sooyoung winked, catching Jinsol off guard._

_Oh right, people were supposed to be flirting with her. That’s why she was doing this show._

_“So you think coming out here is the best way to do that?” Jinsol crossed her arms._

_Consciously making themself mysterious so the bachelorette would have to pick them on a solo date so they’d get to know them more was a rookie move. Ready to tell Sooyoung off for being cliche, the woman in question flashed her a smile._

_Jinsol faltered._

_(She’d later label that as the “first love smile” when it was time for her to shoot her confessional.)_

_As predicted, Sooyoung would be the first contestant to go on a solo date with Jinsol and the first to kiss her._

\---

“That was pretty good,” Sooyoung complimented.

“Thank you!” Jiwoo smiled.

“But mine’s gonna be better.”

Earning a punch on the shoulder, the two formed an unlikely bond. The top two were either mortal enemies or pretended the other didn’t exist. But this morning at breakfast, the two took over a hundred selfies together, sending them to Jinsol with a cheesy caption about missing her.

“Sooyoung, you’re up next,” Heejin announced, checking the white balance on her camera as Sooyoung sat down in Jiwoo’s vacated spot.

Sooyoung and Jinsol made the show’s raunchy duo. Sooyoung boosted Jinsol’s sexier side for viewers - and pandered to sexually repressed audience members - but the two made a lovable duo as well. The heat had died down and now the two barely kissed.

(Actually, Jinsol was barely kissing anyone as the season progressed.)

Being the closest in age and coming from small towns, the two bonded over similar childhoods. Sooyoung’s profile listed her as an heiress to a conglomerate (that got its rise by bypassing many tax laws). But underneath laid a soft side. She was an excellent chef that learned how to make Jinsol’s favorites overnight. She made a physical mixtape for Jinsol, complete with a cassette player since the mansion didn’t carry one.

(And embarrassingly for her, now everyone knew Sooyoung sometimes liked to be the little spoon.)

Her hometown trip to her business tower wasn’t as fun as Jiwoo’s family’s grape farm but she was able to impressively close down a whole theme park for Jinsol.

\---

_What good was an amusement park date when her date wouldn’t ride with her. The attendant called for another rider to even out the weight, scaring Sooyoung even more, but Jinsol and Jiwoo would not budge._

_“Producer Jungeun! Ride with me!” Sooyoung whined cutely._

_Hyunjin made sure to zoom in on her scrunched up face, loving it when the “tough” competitor had soft moments. The other two contestants (spoiler: who’d be eliminated later tonight) watched in amusement, rarely seeing this side of the CEO._

_They needed more shots of them enjoying the theme park that would open in an hour to the public. Jungeun didn’t have much of a choice. Reminding a giggling Heejin to keep the camera on Sooyoung as much as possible, Jungeun boarded._

_Then instantly regretted it._

_The other two contestants came out unscathed. Hair flopping all over and body like jelly, Jungeun was caught by. A prepared Jinsol steadied her in her arms. Jungeun looked up and was glad no camera was on Jinsol and her._

_(Heejin knew better than to film anything with a crew member in it which was actually more difficult this season with how many times Jungeun lurked in the shadows.)_

_Sooyoung waddled away from Jiwoo, knowing she skipped out on the ride so she could have more time with Jinsol even if this was her hometown visit. But that didn’t stop her from thanking Jiwoo for holding her hair back as she threw up in the trash bin._

_Hyunjin made sure to get a good shot of that as well._

\---

“Cut! Alfalfa has entered the shot.”

“Shut up Hyunjin,” Sooyoung reached up to smooth out her hair.

“Awwww you know my name,” Hyunjin teased, pretending like Heejin wasn’t giving her a death glare for messing with the contestants again.

Sooyoung was on a roll with her confessional, making Jiwoo fake gag behind the camerawomen.

( _“I always knew I’d make it this far. Jinsol and I had a special connection. You can call it a wife-fi.”_ )

The CEO squinted into Hyunjin’s lens to make sure her appearance was in check, winking to aggravate the camerawoman. A wet finger tickled her forehead and she looked up to see Jiwoo straightening out her hair. 

“Please tell me you dipped your hand in water.”

Jiwoo shrugged, wetting her fingers again by licking them again. It was Sooyoung’s turn to gag but Jiwoo fought back, making the two wrestle before they began shooting again.

Heejin made sure to capture it on her camera.

\---

_“Woah! Woah! Woah!” Yerim yelled, backing away from her desktop._

_Hyejoo was ready to come over to delete another segment but stopped herself short. Hyunjin and Heejin should’ve warned them about this clip but the footage was from a mounted camera and the time stamp was from the early hours of the morning when neither of them were on the clock._

_Hypocrites adored this show. They slut shamed to no end yet religiously watch every episode. They preached about the sin of adultery yet cheered whenever things like this would happen on the show._

_When this gets aired, they’d be the top article on every search engine site._

_“Why aren’t clips being edited?” Jungeun stomped in. Chaewon was cowered behind Hyejoo and Yeojin was fortifying herself in the space underneath her desk._

_Taking a look at the computer, Jungeun froze. Her producer self was soaring while her other self felt her heart ache._

_Yerim thankfully pressed the mute button in time before sprinting out of the room, blocking out Jiwoo and Sooyoung kissing. No thoughts of Jinsol running through either of their heads._

\---

“You look good Jinsol,” Haseul complimented as sat across the current bachelorette.

Haseul admired Jinsol as a friend and sister, nothing more than that. The two promised to keep in touch after the reunion episode but that was smalltalk.

“Where’s Vivi?” Jinsol asked, no ounce of jealousy in her voice.

“She’s wrapping up work in Hong Kong,” Haseul beamed, proud of her girlfriend.

Whom she picked over weeks of grueling eliminations. But nothing like Jinsol’s though. At least Haseul wasn’t secretly smitten with someone in the crew.

Usually the bitter reunion between the former lovers ended in tears, slaps, or the former bachelorette, begging on their knees to give them another chance, realizing they loved the current one all along.

(That happened three times now. The editing room loved every time it did. It stressed Jungeun to no end.)

But Haseul and Jinsol had no animosity towards each other. They weren’t best friends. They weren’t strangers. They shared five short pecks on the lips before Jinsol’s cameo was cut short.

“How did you know you were making the right choice when you picked Vivi?”

“I didn’t.”

Jinsol snapped her head up, hoping this would be her eureka moment. Her brain blast. Her lightbulb going off above her. The adorable pictures of Sooyoung and Jiwoo at breakfast warmed her heart but also reminded her of the predicament she was in. Would Jungeun get mad if she asked for an extension to think things through?

Sooyoung and Jiwoo were her choices now. 

(Not Jungeun and her career.)

“But it didn’t stop me.”

She just hoped she’d make choose the right one this time.

\---

_“This one’s cute.”_

_“We had cute. We need hot.”_

_“She could be. Look at that jawline.”_

_Jungeun rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time as they were discussing candidates for opera singer Jo Haseul. Having a composer would benefit Haseul for their expertise in music. Maybe they could make them a new theme song as a mission._

_“What do you think Jungeun?”_

_She was the most trusted employee there. Mainly because she knew not to get too close to any of the cast members. She was ruthless with her elimination tactics and often sold an arm and a leg to get the network to do what she wanted and what she knows fans wanted._

_Showbiz in a nutshell._

_But Jungeun wasn’t the devil reincarnated. Contestants and bachelorettes adored her because she took their opinion into consideration._

_She just hoped none of their opinion would be choosing Jung Jinsol._

_As the picture of her ex floated across the table to her, Jungeun felt her chest constrict at the familiar face. A face she hadn’t seen since leaving her hometown but would creep into her dreams. Sometimes in scenarios like the ones she’s created for her career. She couldn't watch Jinsol fall in love again. Did the fates have it out for her?_

_Jungeun decided to take her vacation that season, unable to face the love she lost again._

\---

Jungeun perused the menu, kicking her legs out to work some kinks after sitting all day. 

“Sorry I’m late, I ran into some fans on the street and had to figure out what my autograph was going to be,” Jinsol panted, pulling out the chair across from Jungeun.

Jungeun was caught off guard. Jinsol was on time. She expected Jinsol to be late like she was for most of the segments on the show and when they lived together.

The producer and main star meeting wasn’t uncommon. Jungeun had over a hundred of these dinner dates, finishing what they needed to talk about right before dessert arrived. Ensuring everyone was up to speed on any discrepancies, change of feelings, legal issues.

It was different however when the bachelorette was your ex girlfriend.

“Have you figured it out yet?”

“Yeah, I think I’ll have the paad thai.”

Again, not predictable as Jinsol usually ate curry. Jungeun mentally slapped herself bringing her work to her personal life - which was also still work. She should’ve never voted on Jinsol returning.

But the adorable scrunch in her face as she flipped through the selections made her think otherwise.

“No, Jinsol. Not that. Who you’re going to pick,” Jungeun kept her eyes on her menu, afraid of the look she’d meet across the table.

(Hoping it wouldn’t be the predictable puppy dog eyes she was still not immune to.)

Her team was gathering suspicions why the strict producer spent less time in the editing room than she did previous seasons. She excused it with a new method she was using to remain impartial to all creative choices. The looks Jinsol gave all her competitors, even the ones she forced herself to like, were all too familiar to Jungeun. She remembered being on the receiving end of those looks.

“Oh um… yeah I think I have,” Jinsol uttered.

Her conversation with Haseul was unhelpful but Jinsol knew their situations weren’t mutual. Clear cut and simple: Vivi was “the one” for Haseul.

Sooyoung and Jiwoo were lovely in their own ways. They each came with their own quirks that made them attractive in her eyes. But why was it every time she listed out their amazing qualities, she’d match up a similar one with the woman in front of her who still couldn’t meet her eyes?

She sent her profile in hopes of falling in love again but it was too late to rescind it when she found out who headed show. She would have thought Jungeun moved onto another Hollywood sphere. But Jungeun wasn’t waiting for her in the contract room to welcome her. Jinsol’s efforts during Haseul’s run were futile, distracted because she was wondering why Jungeun took her vacation now.

Yet she didn’t say no when she was asked to return.

Was she expecting Jungeun to be on staff again? To run into her arms again? Pretend the last five years never happened? They weren’t young, dumb, and broke sharing a cramped city studio anymore

“And who is it?” Jungeun held in a breath, knowing she wouldn’t like the answer either way.

\---

_“Jungeun, what are you talking about? This is cinematic gold!”_

_Jungeun ran a frustrated hand through her hair as they discussed the new hot topic: Jiwoo and Sooyoung getting together. If they released it now, Jinsol would find out through the beauty of the internet. If they didn’t release it, they would be letting go of a viral moment._

_“We know Jiwoo is an affectionate person so maybe it could’ve been that.”_

_“Who cares? We’re gonna be trending for weeks.”_

_Jungeun didn’t care about the timing of the release. She was livid the scene existed at all. Seeing red, she was on the way of telling off the two hormonal idiots before an emergency meeting was called and unfortunately, Yerim forgot to close out of the cursed clip when they came to fetch Jungeun._

_“This isn’t the first time this has happened. Contestants fall for each every season. Remember that love square in season fifteen?”_

_“Do you know how many Christian groups protested outside our door because of that?”_

_“Hey! It got us that Absolut sponsorship.”_

_Jungeun shouldn’t feel defensive over this. She wasn’t Jinsol’s caretaker or guardian. She wasn’t even her friend. If this was anyone else, she would order to release the clip and see what the bachelorette wants to do next._

_But she didn’t want to see Jinsol react to this, even if it would help her career. A first in her tenure to hide something for the sake of protecting someone. Someone else who had clearly given up on her. Someone else she shouldn’t be concerned about at all._

_Why else would Jinsol do this show other than find love that wasn’t hers?_

_“What do you think Jungeun?”_

_Jungeun thinks she might still be in love with Jinsol._

\---

“Who do you think, Heejin?”

“I’m more surprised it’s them more than anyone else.”

The editing crew, director of photography, along with her main camerawoman were gathered in the breakroom as they prepared for the last rose ceremony. Unlike most episodes, the last part was broadcasted live. It avoided spoilers and rumors of who won the final rose. The first half hour of the episode had already been edited and sent to the station.

(With Chaewon’s hot new track as background music for one of the montages.)

Waiting for magic hour, the young crew had an early dinner of microwavable meals and a rice concoction Yeojin whipped up.

(They were too scared to ask what the rice was cooked in.)

“What?! Jinsol is so heart-eyed over them, who else would it be?”

“After that incident, I’m surprised she’s still clueless over it.”

Hyunjin and Heejin didn’t get to watch the clip. It was wiped off computers the next day before the editors could show them. Jungeun said they wouldn’t be using the clip with no explanation as to why. Were they dialing down the theatrics of the show? Maybe they needed funding from more conservative donors? Maybe they were tired of Hyejoo putting Mortal Kombat music over every fight and adding health bars over the contestants’ heads?

“Oooh what if at the elimination, they both tell Jinsol they kissed?” Yerim suggested.

“And then they leave together, leaving Jinsol to wallow in her guilt,” Hyejoo added.

“What is it with you and wanting people’s hearts to break?” Heejin asked.

“Why else did we take this job? I’m practically immune to it now,” Chaewon agreed.

“She’s got a point,” Hyunjin agreed, looking at Heejin unapologetically.

“Okay what if she brings back someone from earlier because it was supposed to be that person who she was in love with this entire time,” Yeojin said in one breath, impressing the table.

As they chowed down, the girls shared their predictions over tonight’s episode, each more outlandish than the last, glad they weren’t in Jinsol’s, Sooyoung’s, and Jiwoo’s places.

(And Jungeun’s.)

\---

_“You can’t keep crying when you eliminate someone.”_

_Jinsol blubbered incoherently as she buried herself into her pillow, having let go of another sweetheart. This show put more stress on her than the last few years of her life. Including the tumultuous relationship she had with Jungeun._

_Who was now sitting on the edge of her bed, brushing her hair away. Jungeun chased after her - like she did every time Jinsol broke - when she sent Seulgi home. There was nothing wrong with her relationship with the pediatrician and Jinsol wanted to keep her longer. But America wanted heartbreak so they had to deliver._

_Smoothing her hair down, Jungeun looked down at the broken girl. Even with tears cascading down and her voice scratchy and raw, she was still the most beautiful woman to her._

_“Jungeun, it hurts.”_

_“I know. I know.”_

_“I don’t know how you do it. How you hold yourself together.”_

_Jinsol still found time to compliment Jungeun even when she herself was an utter mess._

_Typical Jinsol._

_“I’m not competing in the show, that’s why.”_

_“I wish you were…”_

_After tucking Jinsol in and ignoring her pounding heart, Jungeun made sure to sneak into the editing suite and delete her impromptu meeting in case the four rascals got their hands on it._

_(And so she didn’t watch it over and over wondering what Jinsol meant by those words.)_

\---

Jiwoo screamed when she felt her necklace rope its way around her neck until she felt very familiar hands clasp the chain behind her. And a very familiar breath down her neck.

“Nervous?”

“Yeah, a little.”

Sooyoung pursed her lips and nodded, proud of herself that she made it this far. Usually her kind was gone because the bachelorette never gave the rich ones the benefit of the doubt. But Jinsol did with her. She was thankful for that.

And in a turn of events, thankful to have met Jiwoo too.

“This is it. The beginning of the next chapter in our lives,” Sooyoung narrated dreamily as she smoothed out Jiwoo’s gown.

One she looked absolutely ravishing in. 

Jiwoo and her had way too many drinks one night and the usual happened in those shared bedrooms all the contestants lived in. They expected Jinsol to find out about it first thing in the morning. But weirdly enough, no footage of it aired and no limo was sent for them.

The camera gods must be looking down on them.

But that was a rare free pass. They could hear the camera whirring above them, capturing their final dressing moments before they walked out on the balcony where Jinsol would be waiting for them.

“How do I look?”

“Beautiful as always.”

Jiwoo sucked in a breath, not wanting Sooyoung’s words to affect her. She almost leaned further back into her touch. Since their drunken kiss, all she could think about was feeling Sooyoung’s lips again and again.

Sooyoung felt the same. She looked at Jiwoo differently since then. She was more than an opponent at this point. Sooyoung couldn’t help but look at her like she was the most magnificent person in the room. Almost the same way Jinsol looked at them.

Jinsol.

The person this show revolved around.

Who’d been nothing more than kind and for lack of a better term, faithful to them. Jiwoo and Sooyoung hoped Jinsol would make the right choice tonight, for her sake and for theirs.

\---

_Jinsol was one of those people who couldn't sleep if a project wasn't done. Safe in the sanctuary of her temporary office, she looked at her completed model, noting the time of completion at two in the morning. She gave a congratulatory thumbs up to one of the cameras and turned in for the night._

_Sometimes one of the contestants would stay up and help her but she let them have time to themselves. From the drunken noises in the living room, she was happy they were having a good time._

_Sooyoung would have made a skit using the parts Jinsol didn’t snap into place and Jiwoo would’ve fallen asleep in her lap._

_Come to think of it, they haven’t had those moments in a while._

_She knew why._

_Trudging up the stairs, she had to pack for their trip around the country to visit each other’s homes. Each rose ceremony was harder than the last for her. Jungeun joked that there’d be no more tears left for the finale in she kept that up._

_It was still anyone’s game. Which for any gambler was exciting but for Jinsol that only verified something she knew since the start of the show. The other contestants were picking up on it and it was a matter of time her secret was out._

_She just hoped all her and the production company’s hard work wouldn’t go to waste. Which is why she had to time it perfectly._

_Before she could turn the doorknob to her room, a slam against the wall showed Sooyoung and Jiwoo getting a little cozy too comfort. Arms around each other, the two shared kisses Jinsol had to psych herself up for._

_Even closer than Jinsol ever got with the other contestants._

_Jinsol bowed her head in acceptance. Not out of jealousy but out of understanding. She knew the rooming assignments without needing to ask and while it should’ve bother her, she was unfazed._

_Jinsol just wasn’t into being_ The Bachelorette _anymore._

\---

The two women had time to kill so were rummaging around the props from the show.

“Hey Hyunjin!”

“What—-AHHHHH! STOP!” Hyunjin almost beheaded Heejin as she donned one of the spare mascot heads from when they hosted a mascot as the main star.

Coughing up dust, Heejin took off the suit, looking at the rest of the memorabilia. Balloons. Confetti guns. Roller skates. Claw machines. Aquariums. Skimming her hands across the athletic gear, they came across wrestling belts.

“Remember these?” Heejin chuckled.

They had an Olympic special season of all athletes which meant more toys to play with in storage. When the cameras were off, Hyunjin took down all of the editing team in every competition, even the ones she made up just so she could see the younger ones squirm.

The prize was Jungeun calling them to her office and asking why there were dented craft services tables.

“You know what I realized?” Hyunjin asked.

Heejin watched as Hyunjin swatted a swirl of dust that attacked her as she dug through another crate. Her ears perked up at Hyunjin’s question. Starting as interns, they had quite a run while they were on the show together.

”We literally film people falling in love. Like that’s all this show is.”

“And does that make you believe in it now?” Heejin teased, trying not to sound to hopeful. 

Like some of the competitors, Hyunjin could be a bit dense. If it was a real competition, Heejin would know who to give her final rose to.

“I don’t know yet, why are you asking again?"

Maybe next season.

\---

_Jungeun took a deep breath as the bus embarked down a lightless road._

_One of the contestants had wanted to view an aurora and Jinsol happily obliged in making a night trip._

_The network spun it in a challenge on seeing who would be the most efficient in warming up Jinsol as they sat the starry sky in frigid temperatures - Jinsol being the only one in the bus without a jacket._

_Jungeun was aggravated at the decision but Jinsol accepted the challenge anyway, more excited to see the aurora than the competitor that suggested it. She draped a blanket over Jinsol who she was sitting next to, using the excuse that they weren't off the bus yet so the challenge didn't start._

_As Jinsol scrolled through pictures on her phone, Jungeun couldn’t help but peek over._

_There were pictures of Jinsol with award winning artists. Artists she remembered jamming out to in their tiny apartment. Artists that debuted because Jinsol stayed up nights, Jungeun tucked away into the crook of her shoulder working on song after song. Artists whose concerts they attended but the main attraction was standing beside each other as they swayed to the beat. Artists that got their chance because Jinsol and her were so focused on their careers, they didn’t have time for each other anymore._

_“You okay?” Jinsol flashed a worried smile at the executive._

_Jungeun nodded, thanking the darkened bus for hiding her pained expression._

_Their time was running short yet again._

\---

Jinsol paced back and forth, wearing down her sponsored dress shoes and scuffing the newly power washed concrete. She may have gotten one hour of sleep and was running on pure adrenaline. In a few minutes, Jiwoo and Sooyoung would be standing before her.

Jungeun had done an amazing job setting up the balcony. Most seasons had roses lining the perimeter because that was a favorite but Jungeun made sure to fit in dahlias as well.

In Jinsol’s favorite color of course.

Like a great producer should know.

Jungeun gripped onto the bannister as she observed Jinsol. The bachelorette looked stunning in her black strapless gown, enhancing all the beautiful parts of Jinsol's figure. She was supposed to be prepping Jinsol, reminding her that this was live. Not that she needed to anyway. Jinsol had made her choice and she was sticking to it.

“You nervous?” She spoke out but didn’t make an effort to get close.

Just like how she didn’t this whole show.

“You can’t tell?” Jinsol didn’t bother disguising the hurt in her voice. She had let this charade go on far along and it was too late.

Now she had to choose.

“Come on Jinsol, don’t give me that. It’s been years!”

She didn’t want to raise her voice. But with all that’s happening and the argument they had last night, something she thought she’d be more prepared for, she couldn’t prevent herself from yelling.

“I know,” Jinsol said, waving Jungeun away so she could fix her appearance before the cameras turned on.

Jungeun stayed the appropriate distance away, unsure she could take a step in any direction. Away or towards Jinsol.

She had a finale to film.

Jinsol had someone to choose.

And she wasn’t happy with the choice she told her the night before.

\---

_Jinsol and Jungeun’s last production meeting was opposite of productive._

_When Jinsol went over her plan to pick neither of them and let them figure out their own budding relationship, Jungeun was furious that Jinsol didn’t inform her that she knew of their affair._

_“We could’ve let them go sooner and now they’re your top two, Jinsol! Jesus!"_

_Slamming her elbows on the table to bury her head in her hands, Jungeun could not believe the mess that would ensue. Sooyoung and Jiwoo would be bombarded with interviews instead. They’d most likely have to plan for another season with Jinsol’s return because fans would complain that Jinsol didn’t get to find love. People would ask for unaired footage - more specifically Sooyoung and Jiwoo related clips._

_Some Jungeun didn’t want to see again because she knew how much it would hurt Jinsol. Except it didn’t. Jinsol looked pleased._

_“You planned this?”_

_If it wasn’t for the botched Billboard hits and sharp stabs of cutlery in the background, it would be dead silent._

_“You wanted them to be your top two so you can return for another season. Is that it?”_

_Why did Jinsol want to torture her? Seeing her flirt with other women for a season was enough to make Jungeun’s blood pressure go up._

_“What? You’re putting words in my mouth.”_

_Jungeun had always been the sly one in the relationship. She could always figure out any secret intentions better than Jinsol. No wonder she made an excellent reality show producer._

_But Jungeun was wrong about this. How could she be so oblivious as to why Jinsol was there?_

_“Because that’s my job!”_

_Why couldn’t Jungeun figure out that she did this so that she didn’t have to choose someone to love in the end? That was never the endgame. She was supposed to join the show, fail miserably, and use that as her ticket back into Jungeun’s life. But Jungeun wasn’t there when she was sent home and it spiralled from there._

_“So you’re trying to tell me, after all this time, you haven’t fallen for anyone in this show?” Jungeun laughed._

_Jinsol could tell it was fake. Even in the four months they had reunited, she could still feel whenever Jungeun’s laugh was fake._

_“I make it so people can love you, Jinsol. How could you not have fallen for anyone?”_

_In those four months, she could still feel something else as well._

_But now it was too late._

\---

“Okay, switch to camera eight,” Chaewon commanded.

“THERE’S NO CAMERA EIGHT! WHAT DO WE DO?” Yeojin freaked out, turning the switchboard over to look for any hidden buttons.

“HA, SYKE!” Yerim and Hyejoo teased, high-fiving Chaewon in an uncoordinated mess of limbs.

“Shut up! I was just testing you,” Yeojin sulked, throwing her empty Icee cup at one of their heads. She didn’t care who as long as she got one casualty.

Jungeun stormed back to the monitor room where her editing team stopped messing around to do a complete test run. She was too stressed to notice the red slush splotching the ground. Setting up shop behind the four, she gripped onto the arms of her chair, not sure why she bothered to check on her ex.

“She looks pissed.”

“Shut up, Yeojin.”

No. Not her ex.

The main star of the show she was producing.

“Should we get her a coffee or something?”

“Shhhh...we’re live soon. Make sure all the cameras are in focus.”

Jungeun ignored the whispers and donned her producer persona.

From the bags under Jinsol’s eyes she could make out from Monitor Three, she can tell she didn’t get enough sleep. Neither did she if she looked at a mirror. Before last night, she would’ve guessed that it was weighing her two options that made Jinsol insomniatic. But now she knew they were never options to begin with.

( _“I still love you Jungeun.”_ )

In her years of producing heartbreaking episodes and gut wrenching cliffhangers, Jungeun couldn’t think of a proper response to Jinsol’s confession last night.

( _“You can’t say that.”_ )

Numb and nauseated, Jungeun left Jinsol alone at the table, calling the network's personal driver service to make sure the show’s main star made it safely back to the manor to film the finale.

( _“Are you saying you did all this for me?”_ )

The finale she wasn’t even a competing in but now was as involved as any other contestant.

( _“I know it’s messed up and it’s gone way too far.”_ )

As a producer she should’ve seen this coming.

( _“Too far? Jinsol we’re filming the finale tomorrow night!”_ )

As Jinsol’s ex, she should’ve felt this coming. 

( _“No Jungeun, wait, please. Don't go!”_ )

It wasn’t the most healthiest of confessions but Jungeun got Jinsol’s message loud and clear. Neither Sooyoung or Jiwoo were going home with a final rose. Jinsol would be sending them on the way for a honeymoon she believed they deserved more.

“We’re live in five.”

But Jungeun believed Jinsol should still find love too.

\---

_“How the hell are you supposed to produce a show about love? You can’t make people fall in love!”_

_“It’s not about making them fall in love. It’s creating the right circumstances for things to fall into place. Only a third of these couples actually marry and a third of them are still together.”_

_Jinsol flopped down, the chair creaking as she slammed her head against the wall._

_This was supposed to be a celebration dinner for Jungeun’s first job offer at a cable network show. She would be a continuity editor for The Bachelorette and hopefully work her way up from there. But when Jinsol listened to the premise of the show, she was baffled._

_Producing fictional content was fine but manipulating with people’s real lives seemed unethical._

_“They sign contracts and the producers ask before any input. It’s primarily their choice.”_

_Jungeun crossed her arms and leaned against the fridge. Didn’t she support her? This would be good for both of them financially. They had been holed up in their apartment for weeks now, scrambling to get a job._

_“Jungeun, you can’t produce love.”_

_“I know. I know.” Seeing Jinsol’s shoulders slump, Jungeun walked over to sit on her girlfriend’s lap. Burying herself in Jinsol’s touch, Jungeun caressed her overly worried girlfriend. “But isn’t that what we did?”_

_Jinsol groaned knowing Jungeun was going to be right._

_“Created something between us out of nothing.”_

_Jinsol growled and pulled Jungeun closer, melting into her embrace._

_“I won’t be able to have much input now but when I do, I’ll make sure the contestants’ happiness will be met.”_

_“And what about your own?”_

_The job involved a lot of traveling and depending on the range of people they pulled in, even months abroad. But Jinsol knew better than to become a clingy girlfriend. This was good for Jungeun, she kept telling herself._

_“Babe, I’m not competing in the show,” Jungeun laughed._

_It’s not like she’d get close to any of the cast anyway. They wouldn’t come close to Jinsol. Even if was being a whiny baby at the moment._

_“And even if I was, it’d only be if you were the one choosing me.”_

\---

“Hello Jiwoo.”

“Hi Jinsol,” Jiwoo bounced in excitement, amusing Jinsol still.

“Hello Sooyoung.”

“Hey Jinsol,” Sooyoung winked, annoying Jinsol still.

Jinsol approached the short pillar that held the final rose. A flower that symbolized desire and longing. If not taken care of properly, it withered and died. But only to give off another love again in a different form from its ashes. Maybe that’s what she needed. Her love with Jungeun was past overdue. It had lived its life, bloomed, blossomed, and slowly wilted. Here she was presented with an opportunity for new love.

Last night had taken a toll on her - moreso than eliminating Yoojung and Doyeon from the final four - and when Jungeun responded to her confession in a hasty exit, she knew that it was all for naught.

The resume.

The audition.

The contract signing.

The cheesy intro to Haseul’s heart.

The cheesy intro to her own heart.

The competitions.

The fake smiles, fake hugs, fake kisses, fake vows.

Sooyoung was who she could love with a fiery passion. Someone she knew could match her in energy, strength, and dedication. She could keep up with her mood swings and knew when to give her space.

Jiwoo was one she could love with a gentle touch. Someone who wasn’t afraid to let her guard down and always would be there at the drop of a hat. She would hold her even if she was frustrated with her and know how to distract her when she needed it.

And she wouldn’t demean them and say Jungeun was a combination of both. Because she wasn’t. But she did have the qualities that would make her a perfect contestant. Even if Sooyoung and Jiwoo looking like knockouts in their evening gowns, Jinsol still wished Jungeun was there.

The two in front of her noticed Jinsol’s hesitation away, pitying the girl who revealed more of herself to the world than most people do in a lifetime.

“You can’t choose, can you?”

Jiwoo gave Sooyoung a pointed look, a little peeved that Sooyoung was taking this elimination into her own hands.

(And a little attracted at the smirk adorning Sooyoung’s smug face.)

They could hear the rustling of Heejin and Hyunjin as panned to the contestants early. They were already ruining the format. The bachelorette was supposed to have the first say. 

“Go get her tiger.”

Now it was Sooyoung’s turn to look at Jiwoo, a little mad that she stole her line.

(And a little attracted to the wink Jiwoo threw her way.)

Disregarding any sense of decorum and forgetting the plan, Jinsol made a run for it.

\---

_“So last night, what was going on in your room?”_

_“Nothing.”_

_“Oh don’t lie. We heard you both last night.”_

_Jinsol bowed her head in shame as the top four competitors - Yoojung, Doyeon, Jiwoo, and Sooyoung - sat around her in the dining room. The cameras still hadn’t been fixed since Eunseo and Sana broke them so they were safe from the overlord Jungeun overhearing them._

_Or as Jinsol liked to call her, Goddess Jungeun._

_“Shut up! She was just checking on me after I eliminated Irene.”_

_“Oh sure, and that trip to see the aurora was only because you remembered Jungeun had that on her bucket list. You made me say I wanted to see an aurora ‘so bad’ so you can book it.”_

_Jinsol wished she could eliminate all four of them right now and be done with it._

_But there were still four separate vacation episodes to go on and a finale and Jungeun’s already spent so much time planning these trips._

_Jungeun._

_The only person that mattered to her in this silly reality TV debacle. The only person she was doing all this meticulous planning for. Like how she could not throw away their four-year relationship, she couldn’t forget the many things Jungeun has taught her in their study sessions at school about the reality TV show world and more recently, their production meetings about how to plan the perfect reality show._

_Jinsol wasn’t as smooth with the plotting as a lot of unforeseen circumstances were thrown her way._

_Like the kitchen fight._

_And Jungeun refusing to get close to her._

_“So you’re eliminating us and then you get rid of them two?” Doyeon draped an arm around Yoojung then pointed at the other couple across the table from them._

_“And then Jinsol will let Sooyoung and I get together on our own terms while she reunites with Jungeun,” Jiwoo beamed earninog a kiss on the cheek from Sooyoung._

_“Can I tell you off on the finale just for fun?” Sooyoung wiggled her eyebrows._

_Jinsol rubbed her temples. As the show went on, Jinsol believed she’d pick any of these women._

_But with every production meeting, every time Jungeun chased after her to see if she was alright, the woman she wanted was not anyone the network had chosen for her. Wanting to speed up Jinsol’s way to Jungeun’s heart, Sana and Eunseo took one for the team and got themselves voted off for being a danger on set, rooting for Jinsol the whole time._

_The show was about Jinsol finding love._

_And the contestants would do whatever it takes to make sure she found it._

_This could be one of the most interesting seasons by far._

\---

“Wait, who’s ‘her?’ What does she mean by ‘go get her?’ Yerim rambled, unsure of what camera to switch to next as Jinsol was out of sight.

“Where’d she go?” Chaewon was getting dizzy at Heejin and Hyunjin’s shaky cameras as they chased after the missing star.

Until they saw a familiar view. Was that the back of their heads on camera?

Light poured into the control room as the tent flap opened and this season’s bachelorette barged in. Doubling over in exhaustion, Jinsol grabbed at her knees to catch her breath.

Hyunjin sprinted in right after, easily sporting her camera without a falter in her step.

Heejin next, almost dropping her rig halfway to the tent.

Yerim, Yeojin, Chaewon, and Hyejoo turned around, scandalized by the recent developments but also soaking in their fifteen minutes of fame.

(Sooyoung and Jiwoo were celebrating with unlimited access to the alcohol in the estate.)

Jungeun didn’t know what combination of tropes this finale would fall under. This violated every sense of formatting the show created. But right now, she couldn’t seem to care. Getting up nervously, she looked down at a panting Jinsol.

“Jungeun...I…hold on...air...”

When Jinsol told her she loved her, she should’ve told the company to scrap the finale and make it about Sooyoung and Jiwoo finding each other. The salaried part of her thought all about what Jinsol’s confession would do for the show. Audiences would feel betrayed because no one was rooting for Jungeun.

She wasn’t even a contestant.

“This wasn’t what we planned,” Jungeun said softly.

“I know.”

This was out of her control. This wasn’t a job she could oversee and bark orders at. This was Jinsol.

Someone she couldn’t control and didn’t want to.

“You’re right. I did a lot of things behind your back. I came on this show with a purpose of finding love. And I tried, I really did. You saw how into those makeout sessions I was.”

Hyunjin was more than happy to zoom in on Jungeun’s peeved face.

“I tried to fall for them. Any of them. But as I planned out trips, I wondered if you’d enjoy them too. When I made jokes, I wondered if you’d laugh at them too. All I could think about how if it was you, there wouldn’t even be a full season because I would’ve given one rose to you.”

Heejin looked longingly across the room.

“I get it now. Kind of. This show and why you do it. When we were together, there was no set plan. I was going gig to gig and you were going project to project. But here, it’s stable and you feel safe and secure. You know what the outcome would be even if it surprises us viewers at home. And honestly it’s kind of hot watching you boss everyone around.”

Yerim slapped Yeojin excitedly next to her at the story developing in front of her.

“I couldn’t provide for you then. And we just couldn’t be together at the time. But don’t think I don’t remember what you said after college. You talked about how you loved being able to help someone fall in love.”

Hyejoo and Chaewon were already scrolling through Jinsol’s social media page to see if they could find old pictures of Jungeun and her together to bring up on the screen for reference.

“It’s time you get what you’ve spent your whole life trying to create for other people. To produce for other people. I just hope you still believe in it.”

Hyunjin winked at Heejin across the room who almost dropped her camera. (Thankfully the editors were too engrossed to catch it.)

“Will you accept this rose?”

Besides the humming of machines, no one said a word. Usually if the contestant was at a loss for words was the case, Jungeun would mouth something from to remedy the situation. A mangled rose was pointed towards her, something she couldn’t fix. Jinsol chose this room to do it out of all places, something she couldn’t control. She wasn’t even in a gown, something she would be sure to berate Jinsol over when they were in private.

It was unpredictable.

It was unruly.

It wasn’t perfect.

But Jungeun loved it.

Jinsol took a look at the room around her. She just wanted to find Jungeun but seeing the wide-eyed editors and slack-jawed camerawomen, she scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. Even with happy tears streaming down Jungeun's face, she knew she was going to get a deserved scolding for putting her on the spot like this.

But when Jungeun pulled her up into a long awaited kiss - messy, timid, and unscripted - Jinsol knew she made the right choice after all.

\---

_“Why a producer?”_

_Jungeun cuddled up to her in their secondhand twin-sized bed. They were supposed to be studying for midterms but Jinsol had pulled her down. What was more important than lazing around in each other’s arms as the sun went down. Jungeun would’ve been hunched over desk but Jinsol never adhered to a set schedule._

_“You want to be a producer too!”_

_“But that’s different. Instruments aren’t other people’s lives.”_

_“You know it’s all scripted right?”_

_They fell back into their embrace, watching the shadows grow longer on their walls as the sky darkened. Jinsol wasn’t trying to demean Jungeun’s career choice. But it just seemed superficial for her. Jungeun was always so raw, passionate, and blunt. Why she wanted to get into an industry of scandals and censorship was mortifying. But Jungeun loved a challenge. And Jinsol knew she would succeed in every endeavor she took on._

_“I don’t know. I like being in control I guess.”_

_“Babe, you’re scaring me,” Jinsol deadpanned but groaned as Jungeun disentangled herself to look down at her._

_Jungeun appreciated that Jinsol was trying to understand her perspective, still holding her near._

_“I don’t mean it in a supernatural way. I just mean like...you’re able to fix the damage because you’re able to see it coming or you can to save a movie because you happen to know the nearest electrician or not let anyone get hurt because you’re able to protect them.”_

_Jungeun was surprised when Jinsol tugged her back down, kissing the top of her forehead. Usually people found her intimidating after she admitted something like that._

_“Sometimes it’s best to go with the flow,” Jinsol murmured, lips still pressed against Jungeun’s skin._

_“Hmmm?”_

_“Even if music has their own rules, and so does your major don’t get me wrong, you have to bend or break a formula. The risk you take, like fitting in a chromatic scale at the last minute.”_

_“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jungeun chuckled._

_“Point is, it’s going to be messy and you’re going to have to deal with that.”_

_Jinsol’s eyes were closed but knew she could still hear her._

_“You’re going to be a great producer, Jungeun.”_

_“You too, baby.”_

_Jungeun had another gig PA-ing a Youtube webseries tomorrow and Jinsol would be programming a block party. It wasn’t as cookie cutter as they dreamed but it kept them together._

_But it allowed them to produce something no machine, executive, or instrument could: the love they would always will have for each other._

—

“I thought you wandered off,” Jinsol sang, snuggling into Jungeun’s back as she overlooked the Tyrrhenian Sea.

With Jinsol skimming her nose alongside Jungeun's jawline and Jungeun holding her steady against her, they almost missed the sunrise.

“And why would I do that?”

Positano was as the brochures had said.

Breathtaking.

They could hear the bustles of the morning begin from below their balcony.

Nothing was said much as they watched the sunrise.

Nothing was heard except the morning murmurs.

And someone’s stomach growling.

“Well I would say it’s a good thing this food is all paid for,” Jungeun laughed. “But someone offered the final couple honeymoon to someone else.”

She had been on the technical side of these things, never getting to experience the perks for winning the show. But Jinsol was adamant in letting Sooyoung and Jiwoo have their hard work pay off.

—-

_“Thank you for your service,” Jinsol offered them the envelope containing the vacation package reserved for her and whoever she would pick._

_But it was only fair the two who went through their own set of drama - the network was already working on a spin-off for the farmer’s daughter and the CEO - get a break of their own. They avoided Jungeun's glare on them. She still had residual feelings about them "cheating" on Jinsol even if Jinsol knew this whole time._

_“Is it weird to say thank you for bringing us together?” Sooyoung grinned, keeping one arm around Jiwoo as she took the envelope._

_Jinsol shrugged. She would be bitter seeing two of her “exes” together but Jungeun’s arm looped with hers made her think otherwise. She could hear viewers yelling at their TV screens for the plot twist but she wouldn’t care._

_And for the first time, neither would Jungeun._

_"Looks like the producer got out-produced," Jiwoo flashed a smile at Jungeun. Something told her Jungeun and her would make good friends after she got over her grudge. They were not going to end up like those contestants that didn't speak to each other when the show wrapped. Jiwoo already added and followed all of their profiles to make sure of it._

_"You know I'm a producer right?" Jinsol tilted her head to the side._

_"Whoops. I forgot."_

_"It's because you were paying more attention to me," Sooyoung winked at Jiwoo who bit her lip and swatted Sooyoung._

_Hard._

_These two were going to make a great spin-off._

_“But seriously...I’m happy you two found each other again,” Sooyoung complimented, pounding her chest to keep the tears at bay._

_She was a big softie. And now America knew that._

_Just like how they knew Jiwoo would break away from Sooyoung’s grip and tackle hug Jungeun and Jinsol, happy that they all found each other._

—-

People were raving and ranting about the past season, rewatching old episodes to see what things Jinsols did for the contestants and what was an act of desperation towards Jungeun, who became a new celebrity in her own right. Their favorite episode so far was the aurora one where Jinsol was clearly looking off-screen to watch Jungeun's reaction. 

Something she had a feeling Jungeun would never let her live down.

“You know they’re vetting Chaewon to be the next bachelorette.” 

“Really?” 

“Well, that’s what happens when you hide tracks of your mixtape in the show and hold up a sign with your Soundcloud link during the finale.” 

Jinsol grinned sheepishly, squeezing Jungeun tighter. If it wasn’t for her rampaging into the broadcasting tent, Chaewon would’ve never found the perfect avenue to get her come up. Not to say that she was any better. She did use a dating show to find love that already existed. 

“Hyejoo submitted an application," Jungeun hummed, turning around and looping her arms around her girlfriend. 

Not workmate. 

Not someone under her production company. 

Girlfriend. And hopefully down the road, someone more. 

“Really?” Jinsol shot her eyebrows up, matching the name to one of Jungeun’s employees she met, an expression Jungeun missed and couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life looking at again and again. 

There was still a lot to learn about each other past the cameras. 

Past the record deals. 

Past the gossip mongers. 

Past the commercialism. 

Past the rocky waves of life that no music or TV show producer could control. 

As they each pulled each other into a good morning kiss - morning breaths be damned - no matter if they were contestant or bachelorette, they were confident they would choose each other again and again. 

**Author's Note:**

> My friends would not stop talking about The Bachelor/ette so I felt the need to make it gay. Thank you for reading! - Q [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/0tlsh)  
> 


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